Labor elders renew calls for party reform in wake of WA Senate re-run

Posted
April 07, 2014 13:46:00

Three former Labor premiers are calling for major changes to their party with one saying the West Australian Senate election re-run shows the Labor Party is in crisis. The Opposition won less than 22 per cent of the primary vote and may only win one Senate seat. Leader Bill Shorten says he plans to make it easier for people to join Labor.

ELEANOR HALL: Three former Labor premiers are calling for major changes to their party, with one saying the West Australian state election re-run shows the Labor Party is in crisis.

The final result is still unclear but both Labor and the Coalition lost significant voter support.

The Government is likely to have to deal with four senators controlled by Clive Palmer and could lose one of its Senate spots.

Labor won less than 22 per cent of the primary vote and may only win one Senate seat.

The Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten has already announced plans to make it easier for people to join the Labor Party, but three party elders say many more "painful changes" are required.

From Canberra, James Glenday reports.

JAMES GLENDAY: Another disappointing election result has led to another round of bloodletting.

MARK BISHOP: The mining tax, the carbon tax have been an ongoing problem for at least five years.

JAMES GLENDAY: Outgoing WA Labor Senator Mark Bishop says his state's interests have been wilfully ignored by the party's leadership in Canberra.

MARK BISHOP: The mining tax was never understood. It's never been sold adequately. It's been a failure in practice.

JAMES GLENDAY: Many in the Federal Opposition are reeling after Saturday's WA Senate election re-run. It's won just one seat and is fighting with the Liberal Party for the sixth and final position.

GEOFF GALLOP: This is not just a cyclical thing. You know, 21 per cent of the vote is absolutely appalling.

JAMES GLENDAY: Former WA Labor premier Geoff Gallop says his party is in crisis.

GEOFF GALLOP: The people know this. They look in from outside and they can see that the Labor Party has become a very self-serving body. It's not relating to the broader community and its needs.

And this is terrible for Australian democracy because we now have a Government which is totally and utterly out of keeping with what is needed for our nation and its future, and yet Labor, the only real alternative to that, is not in a position to offer that alternative.

JAMES GLENDAY: The decision to preference union heavyweight Joe Bullock ahead of sitting Senator Louise Pratt has infuriated many in Labor. And comments Mr Bullock made about Senator Pratt interrupted the final days of Labor's campaign.

Former Victorian premier Steve Bracks helped conduct a so-called "warts-and-all" review of the ALP in 2010. Many of the recommendations were ignored.

STEVE BRACKS: In Western Australia there is no reason why there should not have been a vote of all party members in Western Australia to determine the ticket for the Senate for the Labor Party for the Western Australian election. That would have changed things enormously.

We probably wouldn't be here today with the sort of vote that Labor got, and if we had have had the wishes of the party membership in place, rather than some selected union leaders in the case of Western Australia.

JAMES GLENDAY: In response to Saturday's result the Opposition leader, Bill Shorten, has flagged changes to party process. He wants to remove the requirement for Labor Party members to also be a member of a trade union.

Mr Shorten also says it should be easier and cheaper for people to join Labor, and he's pushing for all states to adopt the federal leadership election model, where rank-and-file members get a say in choosing the party's leader.

He was due to outline the changes in a speech today but had to cancel due to family reasons. Communications spokesman Jason Clare expects the move will be broadly supported and says it's just a first step.

JASON CLARE: And for the Labor Party, if we want to earn the opportunity to govern Australia again, then we've got to get our own house in order and that starts with reforming the way the party operates.

And if the Labor Party is to properly represent the Australian community then we need to make sure that everybody that wants to join the Labor Party and shares our values can join the Labor Party now.

JAMES GLENDAY: The final Senate election result in Western Australia may not be known for weeks, but the Greens have picked up a spot; so has the Palmer United Party.

Clive Palmer's fledgling party will have three senators and its deal with Motoring Enthusiast Ricky Muir gives the PUP four votes in the Upper House, meaning the Coalition will have to negotiate with it on key pieces of legislation.

CLIVE PALMER: We haven't yet made a final decision on what all our positions will be.

CLIVE PALMER: We don't think people should be paid by the Commonwealth anything other than on the basis of their citizenship. Parental leave and all that, I pay it as an employer. Personally, it's I think between the employer and the staff. It's not something for the Government to give a hand-out to people at the top end of the scale.

I think what we should be doing is reversing the scale, maybe, giving the women that need the money more, more and the women that need the money less, less.

JAMES GLENDAY: The mining magnate's spent big to sure up his party's position in the Upper House. He was repeatedly attacked by senior figures of the Government for doing so throughout the election campaign. Now they're being much, much nicer.

ERIC ABETZ: Each and every one of the new senators will have a right to be treated with respect and the courtesy that they deserve as a result of having won the endorsement of the people of their state.

JAMES GLENDAY: The leader of the Government in the Senate, Eric Abetz, says he isn't worried about dealing with Clive Palmer's Party.

ERIC ABETZ: Well, we will try to make it work to the very best of our ability and I'm sure that the Palmer United Senators will come to the Senate with a sense of goodwill, with a sense of purpose.

JAMES GLENDAY: He's also unconcerned about the Government's disappointing result in the Senate re-run - the Coalition's vote dropped by about 5 per cent.

Senator Abetz says it's typical for an incumbent Government to take a hit as the Senate re-run was similar to a by-election.